City University of Hong Kong (CityU) has embarked on a series of mainland recruitment activities including organizing recruitment seminars, participating in major education exhibitions, visiting secondary schools and taking part in mainland universities' open days. The activities, in various provinces and cities, are designed to showcase CityU's strengths and achievements in a bid to recruit more outstanding mainland students.

This year, the scope of recruitment through the National Joint College Entrance Examination (NJCEE) scheme has expanded to 25 provinces and cities, with Anhui, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Jilin and Shanxi added to the list. In response to this development, CityU representatives will visit these five provinces between March and May. Press conferences will be held to introduce CityU's admission policies and requirements, and seminars will be co-organized with local admission offices to allow face-to-face communication with mainland students and their parents.

More than 100 staff from CityU's faculties, schools and departments took part in the

(CIEET), held from 2 to 18 March in Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, Nanjing and Guangzhou, to introduce our professional education and quality academic programmes. As a result of CityU's heavy participation, a "CityU Street" seemed to have appeared in the exhibition hall which impressed visitors.

The External Liaison and Cooperation Office and various faculties and departments gave talks at the exhibition to elaborate on the University's admission requirements and the distinctive features of its programmes. The talks attracted a lot of parents of first-year secondary school students, in addition to students who are about to take the NJCEE. This demonstrates that CityU has become known on the mainland over the years and parents are willing to consider sending their children to CityU.

This year, CityU has won the recognition of the Ministry of Education by being included in the pre-selction round to recruit mainland students. According to the arrangement, students who fail to be admitted by CityU can still join the admission scheme of major band one mainland universities afterwards.

"The University always welcomes high quality mainland students to apply," said Professor Richard Ho Yan-ki, Vice-President (Undergraduate Education). "Recruiting mainland students helps transform the composition on campus, enhance the multi-cultural atmosphere and improve the studying environment."

Dr Zhu Guobin, Director of the External Liaison and Cooperation Office, said that the top secondary schools and the newly included provinces and cities are among the key targets this year. "We are more focused on the top secondary schools and the face-to-face communications with candidates and their parents in this year's recruitment campaign," Dr Zhu said.

"Particular attention is being paid to the provinces newly added in the NJCEE scheme and to provinces and cities with more potential high-quality candidates. I believe that the quality of the students admitted this year will improve further on past performance, with the joint efforts made by CityU colleagues."

CityU has visited nearly 50 top secondary schools on the mainland in the current academic year, the highest number to date. The University also extended its first invitation to a secondary school delegation. Principals, administrators and teachers from 38 top mainland secondary schools in 10 provinces and cities visited CityU last November to enhance their understanding of the University.

In addition, CityU will participate in the open days of Peking University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Fudan University in April and May.